First Solar Inc. and GE's Power Conversion business say they are working on a utility-scale photovoltaic power plant design that combines First Solar's thin-film cadmium-telluride (CdTe) modules with GE's new ProSolar 1,500 V inverter/transformer system.
First Solar says it has developed versions of its modules for 1,500 V applications. The company says these modules, combined with GE's 4 MW ProSolar 1,500 V inverter/transformer stations, enable power plant designs that increase the size of the solar array served by each inverter and reduce the number of inverter/transformer stations required.
‘This is a significant step in establishing the next generation of utility-scale PV power plants,’ says Mahesh Morjaria, First Solar's vice president of product management. ‘Partnering with an industry giant such as GE, we are able to take our power plant design to the next level and bring additional value to our customers.’Â
Last fall, First Solar acquired GE's thin-film module technology and embarked on a research and development agreement.
Morjaria says First Solar has already identified projects under construction for initial deployment of the new 1,500 V system.
